Энхэтийнхэнeŋkhtiŋkheŋ

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Pinyin reflects Mandarin pronunciation; for some dialect names, it is no more than a polite fiction. Korean glosses are tentative. Comments and corrections welcome. Hover over Green LetteringGreen lettering at this site hides a tool tip with glosses, further explanations, etc. Hover cursor to reveal. to see additional information.

The waxwings are ornithologically known as 太平鸟tàipíng-niǎo'peace birds' in China. This is a traditional name and is found in the Imperial Pentaglot Manchu Mirror (37) of 1805.

Taiwan uses 连雀lián-què, which literally means something like 'linked finch', from the Japanese. The Japanese name itself is based on an older Chinese name, although it's not clear that it originally referred to the Waxwing. (Note: the name 连雀lián-què is used by Mainland ornithologists to refer to the Hypocolius, a waxwing-like bird of the Middle East).

The waxwings have the traditional popular names 十二黄shí-èr huáng'twelve yellow' and 十二红shí-èr hóng'twelve red' owing to the twelve yellow or red feathers at the end of their tails. The two species often flock together.